Machine for devulcanizing and regenerating vulcanized rubber



2,543,315 TING Feb. 27, 1951 M. P. FABREGAT MACHINE FOR DEVULCANIZING AND REGENERA VULCANIZED RUBBER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1947 Feb. 27, 1951 M. P. FABREGAT 2,543,315

MACHINE. FOR DEVULCANIZING AND REGENERATING VULCANIZED RUBBER Filed April 15, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 27, 1951 M. P. FABREGAT 2,543,315

MACHINE FOR DEVULCANIZING AND REGENERATING VULCANIZED RUBBER Filed April 15. 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 in 1) 6212/7201 M ,PHIDASOZQ; Fa line q 6276" M. P. FABREGAT MACHINE FOR DEVULCANIZING AND REGENERATING VULCANIZED RUBBER Feb. 27, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 15. 1947 In 0 Qatar fl. Puzwo m l ab! iZam Patented Feb, 27, 1951 UNIED STATES OFFICE MACHINE F03 DEVULCANIZING AND BE- GENERATING VULCANIZED RUBBER Manuel Punsola Fabregat, Barcelona, Spain Application April 15, 1947, Serial No. 741,626 In Spain May 21, 1946 4 Claims.

vided including means to apply heat directly to the material within the container, means to heat the space between the double walls of the casing and additional heating means within the inner wall of the casing.

The invention further relates to a machine of the character referred to in which a removable cover closes one end of the double-walled casing and in which the drum or container is supported on a shaft having axial passages therein and in which there is an axial aperture in one end of the drum in alignment with an aperture in the removable cover and through which apertures can be inserted a sampling spoon or an injection nozzle through which nozzle heating fluid is placed into direct contact with the material within the drum or container independent of the rotation of the drum and independent of any of the three first-mentioned heating means, and a releasable locking means is carried by the exterior of the removable closure or cover for retaining 1 within the drum either the injection means or the sampling spoon.

It therefore follows in view of the independent control of the various heating means the material to be treated that is placed within the drum can have heating fluid in direct contact therewith, it can be heated by conduction or radiation, and combinations of these heating means may be obtained.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a machine in which the heating can be varied and samples taken of the material being treated or the additional injection means can be utilized without stopping rotation of the drum within the casing.

It is an additional object to provide an arrangement in which, if desired, a vacuum can be applied to the interior of the drum while the same is rotating.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example the preferred form of the machine, in accordance with the present invention and in which;

Figure l is a longitudinal view of the machine partly in section and partly in elevation;

Figure 2 is an end view partly in section and partly in elevation taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of a portion of the perforated tubing applying heat to the space between the walls of the casing;

Figure 4 is a side view of the rotatable drum and its carriage;

Figure 5 is an end view partly in section taken along the lines 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal view partly in section Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating details of the distributing member controlling the distribution of the heating fluid injected into the drum from the injection means;

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view taken on lines Ill-I0 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view representing the machine with the sampling spoon inserted;

Figure 12 is a cross sectional view taken on line l2l2 of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View illustrating a portion of the machine with the injection means inserted within the drum and Figures 14 through 17 are diagrammatic illustrations showing a portion of the circuit of one of the heating means and illustrating different phases of operation.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the machine in accordance with the present invention includes a double-walled casing having an internal cylindrical wall l and a spaced external wall [8. To one end of the casing is welded or riveted a closure or bottom 2 which is provided with a suitable bearing receiving and supportin a driving shaft 4 receiving power from any suitable means such as the gear 4. shaft 4 projects into the inner casing and on its inner end carries a driving element 5 for cooperation with an element referred to hereinafter incorporated with th rotatable drum and its carriage end through which rotation is imparted to the drum. Within the inner casing i is disposed a tubing arrangement 6 having a valve controlled inlet 6 and an outlet 6 and through which tubing a suitable heating fluid either cir- The culates or is retained therein depending upon operation of the valves shown in the inlet and valves not shown utilized in connection with the outlet. With these valves the regulation of this heating means is independent of the other heating means incorporated with the machine. within the tubular casing i, spaced rails l are supported on transverse elements 8. Removably positioned within the casing is a rotatable drum illustrated in Figure 4 as including a wheeled carriage 9 provided with spaced bearings 28 and 28 journaliing a shaft 39 carrying the drum indicated generally by the numeral i9. This carriage is rolled within the inner casing and the element 3% carried at one end of the shaft 29, as illustrated more particularly in Figure '7, as comprising a forked member, is coupled with the conventional driving disc 5, which has pins, not shown, projecting therefrom that engage between the forks of the element 30 to rotate the drum. The inner casing i is provided with a valved drain pipe H and additional tubes 12, i3 and 54 which are to carry a pressure guage, a thermometer, and a safety valve, respectively, not shown. A further tube i5 projects within the inner casing and through which either saturated or supersaturated steam depending upon which of the valves carried by the tube i5 is actuated and through which tube ii"; the steam enters into direct contact with the material in the drum in a manner referred to hereinafter. Additional tubes i8 and i? also communicate with the interior of the casing and as illustrated diagrammatically in Figures 14 through 17, these tubes communicate respectively with th suction and delivery orifices of an air compressor a: and suitable valves are provided in this circuit to effect various con-- trols of the operation. The valves y and a communicate respectively with a source of vapors or gases and the atmosphere. Additional valves are provided in the branches connecting the tubes l6 and H with the compressor to control fluid flow therethrough in a manner referred to hereinafter. The space between the inner casing i and the outer casing 18 is designated by the reference numeral l9 and an additional heating means is incorporated with the machine to heat this space. This heating means as indicated in Figures 2 and 3 includes valved inlet and outlet tubes 25 and 2G communicating respectively with elongated tubes 25 and 26 provided with perforations 2'! disposed on opposite sides of a partition 24 extending longitudinally of the space :9 and constraining the fluid to circulate in either a circular path as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2, around the perimeter of the inner casing from the inlet 25 to the outlet 25' or to remain stationary within the space H) if the valves in the outlet 25 are closed. Th respective inlet and outlet tubes are provided with valve controlled branches in a manner similar to the tube l5 permitting utilization of either saturated or superheated steam cr steam and another heating fluid depending upon circumstances. The annular space is provided with a valve drain cock 23 and tubes 2|, 22 and 23 carry respectively a pressure gage, a thermometer, and a safety valve, not shown.

Therefore it can be seen that an arrangement is presented in which there are three independent heating means for heating respectively the space between the inner and outer walls of the casing, for heating the interior of the inner casing and thereby the exterior of the drum by means of the tubing 6 and further heating fluid introduced directly into the inner casing and which heating fluid passes into direct contact with the material within the drum.

Referring more particularly to the details and structure of the drum, as indicated previously, the bearings 28 and 28 support the shaft 29. These bearin' s are provided with a suitable lubrication system to compensate for the high temperature existing within the inner casing. The opposite ends or heads 35 of the drum are fixed to discs 3!. The disc 3| on the left of the drum as shown in Figure 6 is keyed to the shaft 29 and is provided with a series of apertures 32 and a circular channel 33 as indicated in Figure 7. The head or end 35 of the drum is also provided with a series of apertures 36 in alignment with the apertures 32 and between the head and the disc is disposed screening or wire gauze 34 as indicated in Figures 5, 6, and 7. It is therefore seen that these creened apertures provide for permanent communication between the interior of the drum and the interior of the inner casing i in a manner permitting passage of heating fluid into direct contact with the material from without the drum.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7 the drum iii includes the body part 37 having a fluid tight cover 33 and which cover can be removed to permit 'nsertion of material within the drum. One or ore four-arm spiders 39 extend from a shaft and carry longitudinal vanes 49 uniformly about the circumference of the interior drum and which vanes impart movement 0 the material within the drum as the drum 'otates, thereby insuring intimate and direct contact of the gases or vapors within the drum with the material and further facilitating evacuation of any gases or vapors emitted by the material.

due to the heating action.

Generally, the drum is continuously rotated although if desired the movement of the drum may be intermittently rotated in alternate directions and in some instances it is desirous to merely oscillate the drum with merely fractions of rotations less than 360. The means for impartirg such movement to the drum being ccnventional are not shown.

The end of drum remote from th driving coupling 5 also includes the elements Si, 34 and 35 referred to previously. However, in this instance the disc 3:! is perforated at its center and carries arms 6| which connect the disc to a block 52 keyed to shaft 29 so that rotation of the shaft transmits rotation through the block and the arms ii to the disc and hereby the drum.

As indicated in Figures 11 and 12 the sampling device includes a plug member 45 insertable within an orifice 44. in the removable cover 3, a rod 36 having an external handle 41 is fixed to the plug and. carries a spoon-like element 48 at the opposite endthereof. It is seen that when a conventional closure plug is removed from the orifice 4 1 and the plug 35 inserted therein, the spoon element 43 is disposed within the interior of the drum between the end of the shaft 25 and the inner surface of the disc 3|. The outer surface of the plug 55 carries a suitable indication denoting. the position of the spoon member 48. The locking means for retaining the sampling device in a. position. as indicated in Figures 6 and 8 includes a double arm lever 49 which abuts against and applies pressure to. the outer surface of the plug 45. The pressure is applied by means of a bridge element 5 rotatably mounted on a; stud 52 and. adapted to bear at one end on the support member 54 projecting from the cover 3 and at its other end on the free ends of the lever 59. Pressure is applied to the bridge by means of a nut 51 on the stud element 52.

In utilizing the sampling device the arrange ment operates as follows: with the drum within the casing and after removing the conventional closure plug, the plug #35 together with the spoon member id is inserted within the aperture 44 and through the aperture in the disc 3! with the mouth of the plug inverted. The locking element is applied and the sampling spoon is locked within the drum. After the drum has rotated sufficiently to require sampling the nut 5! is slackened, the bridge Eli is turned to free the lever l9 which is removed from engagement with the plug, and then by turning the handle 41 the spoon is reversed so that its mouth faces upwards, then with the rotating some of the material carried by the vanes or blades to falls into the spoon do and when it is considered that the spoon is full the same is withdrawn by means of the handle il.

In connection with the injection means, the locking means including the locking element 49 perform the same function. The injection means comprises two principal members, namely an injection tube illustrated in Figure 13 and a distributing member illustrated in detail in Figures 9 and 10. When the injection tube which is telescopic is positioned within the drum, it is retained therein in the same manner as the sampling device although the particular position of the plug 55 and the injection means is not important. As indicated in Figure 13 this plug 55 receives on one side a feed tube 56 which is connected to either a pump, a compressor, or a steam engine injector according to circumstances. To the other side of the plug is fixed a hollow piston or plunger rod 5? the end of which is provided with a collar 58 of leather or other material held in position by a cylindrical nut 59. Bearing against the nut 59 is a spring 6i) the opposite end of which bears against ashoulder on the inner surface of a telescopic tube ti. This tube which is provided with a hemispherical end surface is placed into contact with a conical mouth of a channel 82 provided in the shaft 29. The opposite end of tube 6: is provided with a flange '83 which abuts against an inturned flange on a sleeve member 54 secured to the plug 55 thereby preventing separation of the tube 6i from the plug and insuring that the hollow rod 5'! remains within the tube. As indicated in Figure 13 the diameter of the sleeve ESQ bears such rela tion to the flange on the tube iii so that this factor in combination with the shape of the end of the tube 6! and the conical mouth of the channel 52 insures contact between the tube'and the mouth of the channel even in the event of misalignment of the body of the injection tube with the center of the channel or if there is a variation in length between the seat of the plug 35 and the end of the shaft 29. The injection tube is locked in position as previously indicated by means of the locking element 49 held in position by the bridge member 59.

The other principal part of the injection means comprises the distributing arrangement. Due to the influence of gravity the material in the drum tends to assume a position in the lower part thereof. The channel 62 in the shaft 29 is divided into divergent branches 55 and 66 as indicated in Figure 9 and since the drum is habitually filled with material to the heighth of the shaft, Without controlling the outlet of fluid from the channels 65 and 6'6, that part of the material situated at the end of the drum adjacent the injection means would be excessively saturated while the material at the other end of the drum would not receive sufiicient satura tion.

To remedy this difiiculty the inner end of the block member 42 that is keyed to the shaft 29 provided with an annular casing t1 through which extends a series of passages 58 that are inclined with respect to the horizontal axis of the shaft. distributing member 1! which is suspended from a pin 69 journalling a roller it that is free with respect to the shaft 29 and rotated thereby. The lower part of the distributing member ll fills the casing 67 but does not rub laterally against the inner wall of the casing or against the adjacent end of the block d2. This lower partof the member I! is provided with a chamber '52 that is filled with lead. This structure results in an arrangement in which the member ii remains stationary and in the same position even though the shaft 29, the casing El, and the block element 42 rotate, since the rotation of the shaft merely rotates the roller it relative thereto. A channel it is provided in the block 52 through which fluid injected into the channel 52 is carried and injected ontothe material above the shaft 29 and the casing 6?. It is therefore seen an arrangement is presented with gravitational means for preventing rotation of the distributing member with the shaft and which distributing member closes the duct 68 when they are directed downwardly but permits them to open when they are directed upwardly.

In operation of the device with the injection means inserted, the liquids, vapors, or gases coming from the tube 58 pass through telescopic tube 6| into the channel 52 andthence into the branches E5 and 56. At a predetermined upper sector of the distributor H, as indicated in I gure 10, the outlet channels 68 are in communication with the branches of the channel 552, there fore fluid passes outwardly through these nels 68 when they are inclined upwardly and also through channel it. However, when the channel it is directed downwardly due to rotation of the shaft and the block ,2, the lower portion of the distributing member 12 blocks communication between the branches of the channel 52, the channel 73, and the channels 653 when they are directed downwardly. It therefore follows that injection takes place only in an upward direction into the gaseous medium surrounding the material in the drum and thence into direct contact with the material. The liquids or gases injected do not, therefore, collide directly with material below the shaft 29 since the outlet orifices or channels are closed by the distributing device I I.

It is, of course, obvious that suitable heat insulation means can be provided to cover the autoclave.

In connection with the diagrammatic illustrations in Figures 14 through 17 several arrangements utilizing the pipes or tubes 56 and H in the air compressor are disclosed. In Figure 14 is illustrated diagrammatically the introduction of gases or vapors into the interior of the inner casing, the gases entering through valve 11 thence proceeding through the compressor and then through pipe I! with the valve in pipe I! being open.

Within this casing til is provided a,

In Figure 1B is illustrated an arrangement for introducing gases or vapors into the drum and providing circulation by opening the valve controlling he outlet pipe l, the other valves being disposed in the same relation as in Figure In Figure 14 is disclosed an arrangement for circulating air, gases, or vapors in cuit Within the inner casing. and outlet valves being closed a trolling communication note the compressor being open pipe ll between the compares, being open.

In Figure 17 is disclosed an other valve that is open outlet tube It and ti- Therefore, the action of the com the vacuum within the i.

tatably and removably mounted inside the inner casing and constituting a, con the ma terial to be treated, means for aging a fluid, such as aheating fluid, into direct contact with the inner casing and surreu. means for admitting heating tubing independently of the ad'n' to the container, scans for ad fluid to said annular space ind able closure for said inner having aperture therein, said container he an in alignment with the aperture the closure, sampling means introducible w drawable from the container throi moving samples of mate ment, and releasable means no pling means within the container or, closure so that the sample can be c dependent of the rotation drum dependent of the control of the heating and while the inner casing is closed.

2. A machine for devulcanizing and ing vulcanized rubber cl sample-withdrawing zn-oi able hollow trunnion s end, a rod adapted to and to pass through one 7 and to pass through the the drum a spoon-like memb r at the i n-e of the rod, and releasable cans carried closure and cooperable with th means being operable rotation of the rod relativ drawal thcreirom through the aperture in the closure.

3. A machine of the autoclave type for devulcanizing and regenerating vulcanized rubber, comprising a casing, a drum rotatably and removably mounted inside said casing and constituting a container for the material to be treated, and means for introducing fluids into the drum and into direct contact with the material therein, said means comprising a rotatable shaft carrying the drum, the shaft being formed with an axial duct having a hemi-spherical mouth at its inner end and with outlet ducts branching from the axial duct to the periphery of the shaft inside the drum, a telescopic injection tube mounted in and passing through the casing in alinement with the shaft, the inner end of the injection tube being rounded to fit said mouth of the axial duct in the shaft, resilient means for keeping the inner end of the telescopic tube pressed against the flared mouth of the axial duct, a distributing member freely suspended from the shaft, and gravitational means for preventing the distributing member from rotating with the shaft, the said distributing member closing the outlet ducts when they are directed downwardly and opening them when they are within a predetermined upper sector.

4. A machine of the autoclave type for devulcanizing and regenerating vulcanized rubber comprising an outer casing and an inner casing havin" an annular space between the same, a drum rotatably and removably mounted inside the lnner casing and constituting a container for the material to be treated, means for bringing heatfiuid into direct contact with the material in the container, a tubing mounted in said inner casing a surrounding the container, means for admitting heating fluid to the tubing independentiy of the admission of iiuid to the container, means for admitting heating fluid to said annular space independently or the admission of fluid to the container and independently of the admission of fluid to the tubing, a removable closure closing the inner casing, said container and the closure having aligned apertures therein, and a releasable locking element carried by the exterior of the closure adjacent the aperture therein whereby selective insertion into and withdrawal from the container through the aligned apertures of either sampling means for withdrawing samples of the material undergoing treatment or means for introducing heating fluid into direct contact with the material in the container independent of in addition to all said other heating means is permitted, said locking element retaining the inserted means within the container.

MANUEL PUNSOLA FABREGAT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 646,230 Marks Mar. 27, 1900 697,688 Stelzer Apr. 15, 1902 951,974 Snyder -1 Mar. 15, 1910 1,039,010 Bardsley Sept. 17, 1912 1,153,040 Debauge Sept. '1, 1915 

